Salinas man garners prison time for shooting at cop

A 41-year-old Salinas man was sentenced to nearly 19 years in prison for participating in an officer-intended shooting, according to the Monterey County District Attorney's office..

Gabriel Zapata was one of two fleeing Salinas police Cmdr. Vince Maiorana on June 10, 2009. Maiorana, then a sergeant, approached a Honda parked in a drug store parking lot that night. Upon shining his light into the vehicle, the occupants fled.

During the pursuit on Peach Street, Zapata and Abraham Ramirez, the driver, fired shots at the following police unit.

Ramirez then crashed into another driver and a pole. Zapata fled on foot but was apprehended within minutes while running through backyards in the area of Rossi and Victor streets.

While in custody, Zapata and two other Norteño gang members assaulted another inmate who was a former gang member.

Monterey County Superior Court Judge Larry Hayes sentenced Zapata to 18 years and eight months for his participation in the two crimes. Ramirez previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 23 years in prison.

The Salinas Police Department and DA Investigator John Coletti investigated the cases.